The cross atop Hungary’s largest church, the beautiful Esztergom Cathedral, hides a 176-year-old time capsule that was only recovered during renovation works this year.
The sealed copper bus was located in the cross on the 100-meter-high dome, the tallest in Hungary, which survived the bombings during World War II.
The container was also badly damaged by shrapnel, but when they opened it, historians discovered documents in near-perfect condition relating to the cathedral’s construction.
Csaba Torok, director of the cathedral’s treasury, said the papers gave a rare glimpse of the time when the church was built from 1822 onwards.
The cylindrical capsule was placed in the cross in 1845 by Archbishop Jozsef Kopacsy and chief architect Jozsef Hild, who took over after his predecessor was murdered.
“Archbishop Kopacsy knew he would not be able to complete the construction in his lifetime, so when the cross was finished, he wanted to leave an imprint of the memory of the builders and of that time,” said Torok.
The best moment was when they found the documents: one with construction milestones and a book with the names of clergy and parishes.
“These were last touched by human hands when they were placed there 176 years ago, so somehow we felt a sudden connection in time,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t find any coins from that period in the capsule, so there was nothing to pay for the renovation,” he added with a smile.
The Catholic Cathedral was built on Castle Hill, where a church was first founded more than 1,000 years ago. The iron dome was built in Vienna and was transported in parts across the Danube on barges.
For its dedication in 1856, the Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt composed a mass. But the cathedral was still unfinished, with the main portico and interior not until later in the 19th century.
A new time capsule may be placed in the cross for future generations. But the copper cover will be sealed on June 30, so they will have to move quickly, Torok said.
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